As the Autumn Budget approaches, one issue is rapidly climbing the political agenda – fixing Britain’s broken property tax system.

This week, 17 Labour MPs, led by Jonathan Brash, MP for Hartlepool, have written a letter to Chancellor Rachel Reeves urging her to launch a full review of property taxation ahead of the Autumn Budget.

Their message is clear: Council Tax is outdated, unfair and holding back regional equality.

A system stuck in 1991

Council Tax was designed more than 30 years ago and is still pegged to 1991 property values. In practice, that means a family in a modest home in the North of England can pay more in Council Tax than someone living in a multimillion-pound London townhouse.

The result is a postcode lottery that places the burden on working families in the North, while wealthier households in the South East don’t pay their fair share.

Our analysis shows that nine of the ten constituencies with the highest Council Tax burden relative to property value are in the North, while all ten of the lowest-burden areas are in central London.

That’s not fairness – it’s a broken system that taxes the poorest more heavily than those who can afford to pay more.

Time for bold reform

The MPs’ letter calls on the Chancellor to take bold action – to launch a root-and-branch review of property taxes and to show that Labour is serious about delivering for working families.

Property tax reform could:

  • Cut unfair bills for millions of households.

  • Boost regional equality by redistributing fairly across the UK.

  • Strengthen the public finances by replacing outdated, inefficient taxes with a modern system fit for today’s economy.

As one signatory put it, adopting this would show that Labour is ready to deliver – not just talk about fairness, but make it real in people’s lives.

The solution: a Proportional Property Tax

Fairer Share’s proposed Proportional Property Tax would replace Council Tax and Stamp Duty with a simple, fair system based on the current value of homes, so those with more pay more, and 18 million households would pay less.

The average household would save £556 a year, while local councils would see their funding rise sustainably and fairly.

It’s a growth-friendly model that will level up by design.

A fair deal for every community

The MPs’ letter sends a strong message: if Labour wants to show it’s listening to ordinary families, it must start by fixing the most unfair tax in Britain.

Broken tax means broken trust. Fixing Council Tax is how we restore both.